Underwood hitting his stride with Tampa Bay

Local product Tiquan Underwood has finally found his NFL home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Daniel Wallace/Tampa Bay Times/MCT

TAMPA, Fla. – Tiquan Underwood may not have taken the road less traveled, but he certainly has taken one with several detours.

After Sunday’s win over the San Diego Chargers, I caught up to the 25-year-old in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ parking lot. That seemed appropriate, since he seems to have finally arrived in the NFL.

The former Notre Dame High School and Rutgers University wide receiver has been playing his best football the past few weeks. In the last four games he has eight catches for 96 yards and two touchdowns.

His second TD came against the Chargers, a 15-yard crossing pattern in which he made a key read on a linebacker. Quarterback Josh Freeman hit Underwood in stride as he glided into the left side of the end zone untouched.

His first NFL touchdown came against the New Orleans Saints Oct. 21. It was his first TD since December of 2008, when he caught one against North Carolina State in the PapaJohns.com Bowl.

Catching touchdown passes had been a way of life for Underwood. His senior year at Rutgers five of his 40 receptions were for touchdowns. He did even better the year before, catching 92 passes for 1,100 yards and seven touchdowns.

He graduated as the school’s 7th all-time leading receiver in yardage, 8th in receptions, 3rd in touchdowns and still holds the school record for yards in a game at 248. He had 10 catches that day and went on to have a stretch his junior year in which he made 21 straight receptions that went for either a first down or touchdown.

There was no reason to believe such days would not continue when he was drafted by Jacksonville in the seventh round.

But he would be cut by the Jaguars, recalled and cut again. Picked up by the Patriots, he was waived again, re-signed, dropped from the roster the day before the Super Bowl against the Giants, re-signed the next day and cut again last spring. The Bucs signed him for the start of camp, cut him before the start of the season, then re-signed him on Sept. 20.

Now he is third on the team in average yards per catch, behind veteran Vince Jackson and former Syracuse star Mike Williams.

More importantly he is on the team.

“For me, personally,’’ said the affable Underwood, “I’m grateful, man. Everything I’ve been through, for the guys back home, whether they’re playing sports or not, I would tell them whatever they do, I would just encourage them to be great in whatever they do. Don’t give up on your dreams and don’t let people tell you what you can and can’t do.

“I’ve been cut numerous times, had coaches tell me I’m too small; can’t catch the football. You can’t get down on yourself. You gotta truly believe in yourself and fight for your dreams. And if you fight hard enough and long enough you can make it happen. That’s what I’m trying to do here.’’

Make no mistake, he is the same kid who came out of the Lawrence school. He continues to have his “Kid ‘n Play’’ hi-top fade haircut made popular by hip-hop artist Christopher “Kid’’ Reid. Underwood’s is some six inches in height and made even more distinct with his Hollywood yellow-framed plastic glasses.

“It’s just for fashion,’’ he said, breaking into a laugh. “The glasses are just a fashion statement. The hairdo? Man, it’s just something different; just trying to be unique and show my personality a little bit.’’

His college coach is his NFL coach now, and Greg Schiano is both happy and impressed at Underwood’s growth.

“He’s battled his way into the lineup and he’s doing a heck of a job,’’ said Schiano.

“He’s worked his tail off. His journey through the NFL – he’s been through a lot and I think he’s learned a lot. He’s a good guy to have on this team.’’

Underwood will take 14 catches and 210 receiving yards into Sunday’s game at Carolina, hoping to increase those numbers and the number of times he crosses the goal line.

“I don’t care if it’s Pop Warner, high school, college or the NFL, that feeling of scoring a touchdown is always the same,’’ Underwood said with a smile. “The first one, that was special. In college you kind of take scoring TDs for granted.

“So to not have one in four years, it really made me appreciate scoring. I don’t take it for granted, and I don’t take playing this game for granted. I’m just trying to take advantage of an opportunity. It’s been a blessing,’’ he added. “I can’t say it enough.’’

Nor can he say enough about his old high school and its football staff. He made a point to send well wishes to head coach Chappy Moore, player development coach John McKenna and freshmen coach Jeff Tracey.